The GIAM research group at INEFC Lleida helped organise the first European Forum on Traditional Games and Sports, a live online event organised by the European Traditional Sports and Games Association (AEJeST).
The inaugural forum brought together 150 participants from 35 countries across four continents over two sessions.
Dr Pere Lavega-Burgués, president of AEJeST and a professor at INEFC Lleida, opened the event by outlining the forum’s goals, purpose and programme.
Dr Eduard Inglés, director of INEFC Catalunya, then spoke about the potential of play and the importance of the forum.
He handed over to Yves Le Losteque, the European Union’s Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.
Angela Melo, UNESCO’s Director of Policies and Programmes for Social and Human Sciences, concluded the opening presentation.
The forum was streamed live on YouTube and Facebook with simultaneous interpretation into French and English.
The first Friday session featured Peggy Liaigre of the Confédération des Jeux et Sports Traditionnels de Bretagne (FALSAB), Brittany, France, and Fabrizio Vierin, representing Fédérachon Esport de Nohtra Téra (FENT) in the Aosta Valley, Italy.
The speakers in the second session were Zeltia Labranha González of the Asociación Galega Do Xogo Popular E Tradicional, Joan Ortí Ferreres of the Asociación La Tella (Valencian Community), and David Abascal Monte of Proyecto Educativo Madera De Ser (Cantabria).
Saturday began with Guy Jaouen of Association Ti ar Gouren (Brittany, France). Eduardo Herrera Roiz of the Federación Cántabra De Bolos spoke next, followed by Antonio Barreñada García of the International Federation of Celtic Wrestling. Dr Pere Lavega Burgués (INEFC, AEJeST) closed the session.
The final session featured Hein Comeyne of Vlaamse Traditionele Sporten (VlaS), Flanders, Belgium, Elisa Ercolanelli of Federazione Italiana Giochi e Sport Tradizionali (FIGeST), Umbria, Italy, and Biel Pubill Soler of Associació Cultural Lo Llaüt in Ascó, Catalonia.
The talks were streamed in two sessions, on Friday 15 and Saturday 16.
Following the first forum and its evaluation, members of AEJeST began work on a second European Forum on Traditional Games and Sports.